Ultimate Asheville, North Carolina Travel Guide for Couples

If you’re looking for the perfect escape where you can enjoy scenic nature, delicious food, and plenty of both fun and relaxing things to do, Asheville, North Carolina tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains makes the perfect weekend getaway. To be honest, Asheville was never on our travel bucket list. We actually stumbled upon it by accident when planning a trip to Nashville and I am so glad we did. We had the most unforgettable time, ate some of the best food, and the beauty of it all is still with me.

We decided to take a road trip since we learned through a google search that the Blue Ridge Mountains is the most beautiful road trip in the US to take during the fall and I can not recommend it enough. We were also celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary and coincidently, during our trip we met 5 other couples also celebrating their anniversary with a trip to Asheville.

Asheville is well known for their breweries, the Biltmore Estate, and the Blue Ridge Mountains and since there’s a good mix of outdoor and city life it makes a great place for any kind of traveler. But in this guide we are sharing the best things to do to enjoy the scenic outdoors and the incredible food Asheville has to offer, especially if you’re visiting for a couples getaway.

Tip: Read until the end to see a cool video of our Asheville itinerary and our luxury glamping experience.

When to visit

If you want to see some of the best fall views in the US during perfect crisp weather season, then plan your trip for October. You never know exactly when the fall colors will peak, but every year exploreasheville.com has a fall calendar with great predictions on when the fall leaves will peak. We used this information to plan our trip and visited the last week in October. Turns out the predictions were correct! We were able to experience the leaves at their peak and were told many times by locals that we picked the best time to visit.

How to get around

If you plan on driving the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway or visiting the Biltmore Estate then you will want to have access to a car. I highly recommend renting a car which is easy to do from the airport.

We rented a Tesla from Hertz and loved it! We were able to save money on gas and since we’re a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member we reserved our car before the trip and skipped the line during pick-up.

I don’t know about you, but waiting in the rental car pick-up line is not how I like to spend my vacation time. Singing up for a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards is free and I recommend renting from Hertz any time your travel allows.

What to do

Zip line through the mountains

Zip lining through the Blue Ridge Mountains is an unbelievable experience and one that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy so much. But the Mountain Top zip tour at Navitat Canopy Adventures blew me away and I would recommend it again and again!

These aren’t your average zip-lines. Navitat Canopy Adventures has been rated among the nation’s best by CNN, USA Today, Forbes Travel, Lonely Planet, and many more and I can see why!

Each tour offers side-by-side zip lines with some of the best views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and they boast about having some of the highest and fastest zip lines. If you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure experience in Asheville, Navitat is a must.

Relax in a treetop hot tub

Since it was our anniversary we were excited to do something romantic and memorable. Shoji Spa is probably one of the coolest spas we’ve ever been to. This upscale retreat is nestled in the mountaintops with gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shoji is a Japanese-style spa that offers luxurious treatments like soaking in a private treetop hot tub, Zen massages, hot cedar sauna, and more. It’s a relaxing yet intimate way to spend your time as a couple in Asheville.

Tip: To experience some of the most delicious tea I’ve ever had, I highly recommend adding the Art of Japanese Tea Service, Shoji’s signature tea blend delivered to you Tub Side.

Horseback riding and wine tasting at America’s Largest Home

Known as the America’s Largest Home, the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina is the privately owned home of the Vanderbilt family.

There is so much to see and do, so be sure to plan at least half a day (4-6 hours) to explore the estate. You could actually spend an entire day exploring this magnificent 175,000 sq ft estate which is more than four acres of floor space. This 250-room French renaissance chateau is a history buff’s dream with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces.

The admission tickets include a complimentary wine tasting (21 and over) so make sure to head over to Antler Hill Village to try their award-winning wines.

If you visit around the holidays, the Christmas at Biltmore is a must try. We left with two bottles!

Another way to experience the magic of the Biltmore estate is a relaxing guided horseback trail ride. The ride is tranquil and scenic so it’s designed perfectly for beginners.

So whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced horseback rider you will enjoy this unforgettable expedition through the picturesque views. Or for a more intimate experience you can take an elegant carriage ride.

Overall, our time at the Biltmore was absolutely magical with so much to do that we will definitely love to visit again!

Tip: You will need to purchase admission tickets to get through the gates of the Biltmore House. I recommend booking your tickets in advance. You will be assigned a scheduled time to tour the home, even though you can explore the gardens, winery, restaurants, and hotels anytime throughout the day.

Chase waterfalls and enjoy a nature hike with Asheville Hiking Tours

Hiking to a stunning viewpoint and chasing waterfalls is something you have to add to your Asheville itinerary.

There’s so many beautiful hikes and waterfalls that we had no idea where to start so we decided to book a guided tour.  Ranked #1 Outdoor Activity in Asheville on TripAdvisor, Asheville Hiking Tours is the best way to discover hidden gems and secret spots that only the locals know about. They aim to provide a unique experience with guided tours to the best waterfalls near Asheville, relaxing hiking trails, and even wild food foraging.

My favorite was Looking Glass Waterfall. What’s even better is you can drive right up to this waterfall yourself without booking a tour.

Take a scenic drive on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway

If you’ve heard of Asheville then you’ve heard about the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s a National Parkway and noted as one of the best road trips in the country because of its scenic beauty.

It can be a little confusing on where to start, but I recommend starting at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center or the North Carolina Arboretum.

We wanted to stop at every viewpoint to take pictures because the views are truly breathtaking, but we quickly realized we did not have enough time for that. Because we in fact stopped everywhere to take pictures, we were not able to make it to the viewpoints we originally planned for.

So if you have enough time, I suggest driving north and stopping at Craggy Gardens (milepost 364.4), Linn Cove Viaduct (milepost 304.4), Linnville Falls (milepost 316.3) and Mt. Mitchell for some unreal viewpoints.

Enjoy outdoor adventure with Asheville Adventure Company

If you’re looking for another outdoor adventure, Asheville Adventure Company has a variety of activities. Whether you’re looking for something fast-paced like whitewater rafting or something more chill like kayaking or calm water tubing, you will be able to do it here. They even have rock climbing in the Blue Ridge Mountains or scenic e-bike tours to choose from.

Tip: If you’re planning on tandem kayaking with your partner, be prepared for some couple bonding and team building because it’s inevitable. So if working simultaneously together is not your strong suit, I would stick with each renting your own kayak. For us, we bickered for the first few minutes. But once we got the hang of it, we had so much fun, and it turned out to be quite therapeutic as a couple.

Stay in a luxury glamping dome

For our last night, we stayed at Glamp AVL, a one of a kind getaway about 20 minutes outside of Asheville. Nestled near the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Glamp AVL is a luxurious glamping dome that combines the comforts of a 4-star hotel with the beauty and peace of nature. It offers an opportunity for you to completely disconnect, relax, and immerse yourself in nature.

Not only are the accommodations amazing, but the experience is one you won’t forget! The property comes with everything you need from a plush king size bed, a fully stocked kitchenette, a hot tub with mountain views, and just about anything else you can think of for a luxurious night of glamping.

We couldn’t recommend this experience enough! There’s so much more to share about our stay. If you’re interested in this Airbnb or would like more information, check out our Glamping Dome Experience blog here.

Where to eat

This is my favorite part, because we love food! We make it our mission to seek out the best, top-rated food places whenever we travel to a new city. And before we travel anywhere we spend hours doing research on viral, award-wining places and local favorites, so you don’t have to. To my surprise Asheville has a booming food scene and here are our favorites:

Sunny Point Cafe

One of the best breakfast spots in Asheville is Sunny Point Cafe. This family owned restaurant serves upscale comfort food with made-from-scratch dishes. They have won countless awards for “best breakfast” and I can see why!

Brennan ordered their signature dish, Huevos Rancheros, which has won awards for being the best dish. Can you see why we had to visit?! This dish comes with two eggs, black bean cake, chorizo, feta cheese, potatoes, and green salsa. Topped with a delicious cilantro cream and freshly made tortilla chips. I ordered the classic southern breakfast plate with eggs, bacon, and grits which was good but like always, Brennan’s plate was 10x better! I will even admit that the Huevos Rancheros is top 3 breakfast dishes I’ve ever had! That says a lot!

Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas

Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas is another local and tourist favorite dishing out award-winning eats daily. They have been voted "Best Chinese Restaurant” in Asheville 6 years in a row!

As the name suggest, Red Ginger is a high-end Chinese restaurant that offers extremely tasty and authentic dim sum and small plates. We are huge dim sum fans and these were absolutely divine! We ordered sharing style - szechuan wontons, gua bao, pork dumplings in shanghai style, and the beef noodle soup. Everything was so delicious, so come hungry because you will want seconds!

Nine Mile

Nine Mile was not originally on our list, but this spot came highly recommended by a lot of locals. Plus every time we passed it on our way to our Airbnb, there was a long line oozing from the entrance.

After googling it to find out they have been awarded Asheville’s favorite restaurant 9 years in row, we were fully convinced.

They serve Caribbean-inspired dishes with lots of vegetarian options. I ordered the jerk chicken over noodles and Brennan ordered the coconut jerk trout over rice. I don’t usually like coconut, but I absolutely loved Brennan’s dish along with mine. Even the salad was phenomenal. Order the tahini garlic dressing. You will not be disappointed.

Tip: A lot of popular restaurants in Asheville like Nine Mile do not take reservations, but I would always recommend calling to double check because the wait times can get long.

Chai Pani

To say Chai Pani is in a league of its own would be an understatement. Located in downtown Asheville, Chai Pani serves classic Indian street food with a fascinating twist.

I mean this place won the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant”, a recognition honoring the finest of restaurants in the country.

No matter what dish you order at Chai Pani, the flavors, freshness, and array of spices will blow you away. At first we were overwhelmed by the menu. Everything sounded delicious, but at the same time we didn’t know what to expect from these flavors. We had never had them before. However, I’m convinced you will be happy with any dish on the menu!

We ordered the vada pav, kheema pav (sloppy jai), and the butter chicken. All were incredible. I can’t wait for the day I eat this again.

Tip: Their website has pictures if you are a visual person like me.

Edison

Since we were in Asheville for our anniversary we wanted to go somewhere special to celebrate. So we tried to make reservations at Sunset Terrace. This restaurant is in the Omni Grove Park Inn and after visiting I see why its well known for visitors like Micheal Jordan, J. Lo, and even dating back to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Unfortunately, when we tried to make reservations for sunset time there were none available. So I would recommend you securing your reservations as early as possible.

I am a sucker for a great sunset and had my heart set on enjoying the one at Omni. Luckily, the Edison, another restaurant at the Omni did have availability. The Edison is the little sister to Sunset Terrace. You can sit out on their terrace to enjoy the breathtaking mountain views or enjoy their cozy indoor seating by the fireplace, like we did. We ate our burger and butter chicken at the Edison, while we watched what it’s known for - the beautiful sunset.

Tip: Even if you don’t stay for dinner, you can still visit the Omni for sunset.

Where to stay

Montford

Montfort is a affluent neighborhood with a lot of history and charm. Driving through the neighborhood you will see beautiful colonial revival homes now restored into Bed and Breakfasts. We stayed in a lovely Airbnb with lots of space, 2 bedrooms, and a patio for under $85 a night. We enjoyed it so much that we would definitely stay there again.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS asheville, north carolina ITINERARY!

Overall, we were quite blown away by our visit to Asheville, North Carolina and I hope you enjoy your visit too. Have you visited before? If so, is there anything else we should add to our list of things to do?

Make sure to check out our Glamping in Asheville blog, for more details on planning your trip to Asheville.

Video of Asheville Itinerary

Video of stay at glamp AVL

Thank you Glamp AVL for hosting us during our stay.

All honest opinions are my own.